Money has to come from somewhere

If you are over 60, as I am, you probably think that you were a victim of over taxation all of your life. Sorry, that just isn’t true.

In 1971, the year I turned 20, our national debt was about $500 million in real terms. Today, the debt is about $500 billion in real terms. It looks as though this generation of ours might have spent just a tad more than we paid.

Perhaps right now is a very good time for a little of that wisdom that befits an elder. In looking back, we might have taken a more realistic look at the facts during those many elections in which we voted.

Perhaps had we stopped voting for the magical (more money for me, more services for me, with lower taxes for me at the same time party), our children wouldn’t have to spend their lives paying our bill. There are more elections coming up in the future. Are we going to tell all of the parties to get it right next time? Hey, Harper, Trudeau, Mulcair, axe that stupid buzz phrase “more money for seniors” and stop trying to buy our votes with money from our children’s pockets.

Now before you Grey Power fanatics fire up your nasty little blog machines, take an honest look at how we behaved for the past 40 years. We spent a lifetime barking about being taxed to death. “Just another cash grab'” we said.

We fired Mulroney for the GST and Campbell for the HST. We want the TransLink board fired, the BC Ferries boss, the ICBC boss, and the BC Hydro boss all fired for having the audacity to raise rates. Over the years we have terrorized our local representatives to the point where there isn’t a mayor in the country that doesn’t break into a cold sweat whenever the topic of property taxes comes up. We want new knees and new hips, unlimited prescription drugs, and free senior centres, while at the same time we are paying tradespeople under the table to avoid paying our lawful taxes. Does the word hypocrite mean anything to anyone anymore?

I, for one, don’t believe it’s too late to change things. If you disagree, you can fire up your nasty little blog machine now and blast away. And if your tired old fingers can’t negotiate a keyboard anymore, just drop in to see your doctor. Don’t worry about the bill, just put it on your children’s tab.

K. Sass

Hemlock Valley

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